What if's and might have beens
by NancyMay
Summary: I am not the biggest fan of Rose, and (spoiler alert) having thought she was pregnant, I got to thinking what she would have done, and really, would Charlie have been so remiss as to not use some protection against getting his girlfriend in the family. Warning, this is a very dark story.
1. Chapter 1

Rose sat on her bed and gaped at the letter from the doctor. She swore under her breath. She couldn't be. Charlie always made sure there would be no consequences of their night time activities, but she had not returned to her usual regularity after her last 'monthly' when she had been sure it was a false alarm. She couldn't go to Lucien or the hospital, everybody knew she was Chief Superintendant Lawson's niece, and the local 'help' had been arrested and charged with murder.

She daren't speak to Jean, who she had told it was a false alarm, and anyway, Jean had lost a child through miscarriage and any idiot could see how much it hurt her, even after all these years.

Bugger!

Bugger!

Bugger and bloody hell!

She still had a few contacts in Melbourne, so, a weekend away, have it seen to and then back to Ballarat, nobody need know.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On the train Rose had time to think. She and Charlie were widely held to be 'an item'. But in truth, he was Senior Sergeant Charlie Davies, useful for providing stories for the paper, solid, steady, admittedly handsome, but... he was a policeman, somewhat staid, in her eyes, not a laugh a minute. He'd be horrified if he found out she didn't confine herself to his bed, but, unfortunately she didn't, and now... who the hell was the baby's father? Even to herself she sounded like the town harlot.

Occasionally she let Edward have her, not that exciting, and he usually pulled out, but not always in time. The sub editor, he could be persuaded to put her story on a near front page if not the front in exchange for a bit of hanky panky, could it be? Nah, it had been too long since she had let him anywhere near her. It had to be Edward. Getting rid of his bastard was not as bad as getting rid of Charlie's.

She looked into different ways of 'encouraging a miscarriage', all of which sounded pretty dreadful, most of which just moved everything else not necessarily an unwanted foetus.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Charlie had been surprised at Rose's sudden trip to Melbourne, she hadn't said anything about wanting to go and see her friends, but Rose was Rose, so he waved her off from the station and headed back to the station for his shift. It was a quiet day and he had time to think about them as a couple. He enjoyed being with her, even though he knew he was useful to her, but he had felt their relationship had gone further than that. They slept together, always careful, though that was his department, neither made too many demands on the other, but sometimes he thought there could be more, but he didn't know if he loved her enough to ask her to marry him. Briefly he thought of Mattie, only briefly, she was probably engaged by now, or even married.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose was met by her friend, Elizabeth. Elizabeth and she went back years, well at least as far as high school. Elizabeth had trained as a nurse but now she seemed to have it all, married to a marvellous surgeon, at least that was what she said, no children, yet, a fabulous social life and contacts all over the place.

'Of course,' Elizabeth linked arms with Rose, 'Alex can't do your procedure, but he knows of someone who is discreet and qualified, so you'll be fine.'

'Elizabeth,' Rose heaved a sigh of relief, 'I can't thank you enough, and I will do a very favourable, even glowing, report of your husband's work.'

'We'll be very grateful,' Elizabeth smiled and squeezed her arm, 'we need all the help we can get in women's health.'

Elizabeth drove her to a hotel, given the reason she was in Melbourne, she said, they had to be even more careful, and Rose accepted this. The hotel was not the Windsor not nearly on the same level, and the procedure would be carried out there, the following morning.

'In the hotel?' Rose was surprised.

'It's a relatively simple procedure,' Elizabeth started to reassure her, 'a little uncomfortable, but you're not far gone so, it will be just like a very heavy monthly.'

'Right,' Rose began to feel nervous. 'Elizabeth,' she turned to her companion, 'I don't suppose you would stay with me, would you?'

'Well,' Elizabeth had arranged things with her husband but was not prepared to hand hold.

'I know what we're doing is, well, not approved of,' Rose thought that was the understatement of the century, 'but..'

Elizabeth sighed, she supposed it would be ok, Rose was a healthy young woman there would be no untoward issues.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose had been instructed to be ready early, and to have nothing to eat. She had been given a list of things she would need, protection for her clothes, an old nightdress or shirt she could reasonably afford to lose and some Bex for pain relief.

She lay in bed overnight telling herself it was the right thing to do. She was not ready to be a mother, wasn't particularly fond of children, she was unmarried, the scandal in Ballarat would damage Uncle Matthew's reputation, it was the right thing, she told herself over and over again, and avoided thinking of Jean and her loss.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose lay on the bed, with Elizabeth talking to her, telling her all about things she had done, while she waited for the valium she had requested to take effect. Rose was, by her own admission, a bit of a coward when it came to medical procedures, so had asked if some kind of sedative could be used.

It was more than uncomfortable, despite the sedative,

'Relax, my dear,' the doctor soothed, he was German, she thought, 'soon your little problem will be gone.'

'Nngh!' Rose gritted her teeth, 'Mmph!' She looked up at the ceiling willing herself to think of anything other than the man who was pushing something into her womb to removed the baby she didn't want.

'All is done.' The doctor stood up and nodded to Elizabeth. He removed his gloves and gown and put them into his bag. The instrument he used, out of the corner of her eye Rose thought it looked like a long thin crochet hook, he put it into a piece of gauze and pushed into his bag with the rest of his things.

'Have a sleep, Rose.' Elizabeth pulled the bedclothes over her, 'then perhaps a hot bath.' She picked up the envelope Rose had left on the beside cabinet, and left with the doctor.

Rose curled up and cried, more for the pain than the loss, and eventually fell asleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Charlie was at a loss for something to do on a Saturday night without Rose, so he offered to help at the local youth club. He volunteered to referee a football match and found he enjoyed himself. The young lads played well and there was little or no rough play.

'Don't suppose you'd be up to join us again, Senior Sergeant?' The group leader asked.

'I'll let you know,' he grinned, 'but thanks for asking me this week.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matthew didn't want to stay in the house and be a gooseberry to Jean and Lucien so he had offered Alice a ticket to a play at the theatre, if she would drive him. The play was reasonably well acted, 'An Inspector Calls', and Matthew smiled to see Alice completely engrossed.

She dropped him off at the Blake's and thanked him for a pleasant evening.

'It's been some time since I went to the theatre,' she admitted, 'I enjoyed it, thank you, Superintendant.'

'My pleasure, doctor,' he smiled, 'thank you for driving.'

They parted, no kiss, no invitation for a nightcap, it wasn't his home, just two friends having a pleasant evening out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hearing the key turn in the lock, Jean and Lucien pulled apart from their kiss. There was no need for them to pretend she had been innocently knitting and he had been doing the crossword, Matthew was a detective, he wouldn't be fooled!

'Only me!' Matthew called through, 'heading to bed.'

'Night, Matthew!' they called back, grinning at each other and resuming their occupations, though Jean thought it was about time she turned in.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose woke later in the day and immediately reached for the Bex. Elizabeth had suggested a hot bath and she had to pull herself together. She couldn't stay in the room all day, so she hoped she would at least be able to get out and go for a walk.

The hot bath relaxed her and eased the cramps. She rang down for some tea and when she had drunk that, and dressed, she headed out to wander around for a while.

She had thought it would be all over by the time she headed home, but it would appear it would take longer than that. She rang Elizabeth to ask her advice but was just told to be patient and she had been warned. Rose felt suddenly very alone, and very, very stupid. She hadn't thought this through, at all. She cried herself to sleep there was no one she could talk to, here, in Melbourne or at home.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Charlie looked around the station for her, but none of the passengers had her familiar red hair. Perhaps she had missed her train. He could wait, but it would be a couple of hours before the next one, so he decided to go home and hope she would ring for a lift.

Rose watched him leave. She felt so wretched and probably looked awful, her story, when someone on the train had enquired of her health, was a university reunion that had got a bit out of hand. She hailed a taxi to take her home.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Hello, Charlie,' Jean looked up from peeling vegetables, 'I thought you'd be with Rose.'

'I think she must have missed her train,' he sat down and played with the peelings, 'maybe she'll ring later.'

Jean wondered about the two. She didn't believe that Charlie would be so reckless as to chance getting Rose pregnant. She'd been very surprised and not a little saddened when Rose had told her she thought she was in trouble. She had shocked herself when she had told Rose she had done the same thing, but married Christopher, then lost the little girl she was carrying.

'Is everything alright?' She put down her knife and took his hand, 'you can talk to me, you know.'

'Yeah,' he inhaled, 'yeah we're fine.'

No you're not, Jean thought.

'Want some help?' Charlie could lose himself cooking, it would take his mind off whatever was wrong with Rose.

'You can prepare the chicken,' she watched him go to the sink and wash his hands, 'and if you like, we can have fruit pie and custard.'

'You know me too well, Jean.' He turned and smiled.

With the radio playing softly in the background there was no need for conversation, Jean hummed to some of the melodies which made Charlie smile. In fact, by the time he had prepared the roast and the apples for the pie, while she made the pastry, he felt a lot happier.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucien and Matthew came back from the station, the latest case sorted at last.

'Something smells good.' Blake poked his head through the hatch. 'Hello you two.' He went round the table and kissed Jean, she'd finally stopped blushing at these little affections in front of their lodgers.

'Well, you two don't usually work on a Sunday, if you can help it, and...why not?'

'Why not indeed.' He grinned, 'Rose joining us?'

'No idea, I think she missed her train.' Charlie was now resigned to the fact he was unlikely to see her that evening, and anyway, they weren't in each other's pockets.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose was lying on her bed, curled into a foetal position and sobbing with the pain. Too ashamed to call Lucien or go to the hospital she could only hope that it would be better in the morning. She finally wore herself out and slept.

The phone ringing brought her round and she looked at the clock to see it was nearly nine o'clock, and as it was light outside that meant she was late for work. She felt as if she was lying on a wet bed and on looking saw she had bled, a lot, during the night. She sighed, at last it was leaving her. Still in pain, she pulled the phone to her and grunted into the receiver.

'Edward,' hell, it had to be the boss, 'sorry, over slept, busy weekend.'

She swallowed more Bex and headed to the bathroom, and stood in the shower watching the water turn bright red. Elizabeth had told her, warned her it would be heavy bleeding, but this, this was more than she expected, much more.

She managed to dress and made sure, she hoped, she wouldn't be leaving a trail of blood behind her, that she could get through the morning at least.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the office Edward took one look at her and his mouth dropped open,

'Bloody hell, Rose,' he gasped, 'what's wrong with you?'

'Er...female issues.' She grimaced as another cramp gripped her, 'scuse me.' She pushed passed him to the lavatory. When she returned she looked even paler, 'I'm sorry Edward, I really can't...'

'Go home, you'll scare everyone you interview.' Not even Edward Tyneman could be that callous.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'What's the list like today, Jean?' Lucien called through from the study.

Jean took the diary into him, 'Starting at ten, you have four this morning, and then a two o'clock and a two thirty.'

He looked down the page, 'Oh, a new one.'

'Yes, just moved into the town, young mother, two children, husband works at the factory for Patrick. Accounts, I believe.' She pulled a new notes folder out, 'I've put as much on the folder as I can, I expect you want to do a quick check up, and I've sent for her notes from her previous GP.'

'So glad I'm going to marry you.' He grinned.

'I was rather hoping you were marrying me for more than my receptionist skills,' she replied, her voice taking on a sultry tone.

'Oh I have plans, that may not always involve your duties as a receptionist or housekeeper.' He smirked and went round the desk to pull her into a rather passionate kiss.

'Well, that certainly bodes well,' she leant back and looked into his blue eyes.

'We could, practice.' He raised his eyebrows hopefully.

'I made that mistake once before, darling,' she looked down, having only recently told him what she told Rose, 'I don't want to make it again.'

'So, there is a chance then?' He pulled her close.

She wouldn't answer that, it didn't need an answer. She just sighed and leant her head just under his chin.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose had tried to get home, but she wasn't going to make it, and the closest place had to be Lucien's, unfortunately. She knocked on the door, just about able to stand, afraid she was bleeding to death.

'I'll get it.' Jean, ever cheerful called, but as soon as she opened the door all brightness disappeared, 'Lucien!' She screamed through the house, 'Lucien!'

Rose tumbled forward on her, 'I'm sorry,' then her world went black.

'Jean, what...!' Lucien pulled up short, 'bloody hell!'

'Lucien,' Jean turned to him, pale and wide eyed, 'I think she's done something very foolish.' The blood dripping down Rose's legs told her all she needed to know.

'Car, now!' Lucien swung the unconscious girl into his arms.

Grabbing her handbag and slamming the door shut Jean ran to the driver's side and got in, starting the car before Lucien had closed his door. She broke several speed laws to get to the hospital, which surprised and impressed her fiancé, pulling up sharply at the front of the building. Barely pausing to turn off the engine she leapt out and went round to open the door for Lucien.

'Get a stretcher, Jean, please.' He heaved himself out and almost ran up the steps with his burden, praying she would make it. He had seen enough to be in no doubt Jean was right, even though he didn't know she had previously thought she was pregnant then that it was a false alarm.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Things happened very quickly, a drip to administer life giving fluids and blood, nurses cut her clothing off.

'Rose,' Lucien called her name, 'Rose, wake up, I need you to talk to me,' Lucien whispered urgently to her, patting her cheek, 'come on, girl, open your eyes for me.'

A flutter and a whisper, 'Not Charlie's,' her eyes closed again.

'Theatre, now!' Lucien started to pull the trolley out of the cubicle.

'Lucien,' Jean walked with him, 'what do I tell Matthew?'

'I don't know, but, Jean,' He held her arm, 'it wasn't Charlie's.' He let go and carried on towards the operating suite.

Jean watching him go. What could she tell Matthew? 'Your niece has had an illegal procedure, she's in theatre...' She couldn't lie to him, he would never forgive her. Did Matthew know Rose and Charlie were...intimate?

She wandered slowly out of the hospital trying to process what he had said. Not Charlie's, what on earth did that mean? That she was sleeping with another man? No, surely not. Charlie, she had to talk to Charlie first, the most difficult question she would ever ask a young man who was not her own son. Maybe both of them together. What a mess, how silly of her. Not silly, stupid. The more she thought about it the angrier with the girl she got, and the more scared she was that she could die, die from stupidity.

She realised she had walked to the station. She looked into the building and took a deep breath before entering to find two men who were about to have their worlds turned upside down.

In the office all was calm, Matthew was at his desk going through reports, Charlie was typing up a traffic offence.

'Hello Jean.' Matthew smiled, which made her heart sink.

'Matthew, Charlie,' she straightened, 'can I have a word, in private?'

'What's wrong?' Matthew heaved himself out of his seat and joined her and Charlie at the door.

'Not here.' She preceded them to the interview room. She sat down, realising her legs would no longer support her.

'Jean?' Charlie poured her a glass of water, 'here. Drink this and then tell us what's the matter. Is it the doc?'

'She took a mouthful of water and shook her head, 'No.' She looked at Matthew, then at Charlie, 'it's Rose.'

'What about her?' Charlie sat down, 'she's still in Melbourne, isn't she? I mean she hasn't phoned.'

'She's done something very stupid.' She squared her shoulders, 'Lucien's got her in theatre now.'

Matthew looked at Charlie and his face darkened.

'No!' Jean stopped him, 'It's not Charlie, is it Charlie?'

For a moment Charlie just looked at her then he realised what she was asking.

'No, Boss,' He put his hands up, 'I always, I mean I make sure...' He ran his hands through his hair, 'who..?' Angry, hurt, shocked, scared, any number of feelings ran through the young officers mind, even some rather derogatory terms for Rose!

'Who then?' Matthew grunted through gritted teeth, 'who else would she...? What am I going to tell Vera?'

'Nothing yet,' Jean stood up, 'Lucien didn't really want you to know exactly why she is where she is, but, I'm sorry, I couldn't not tell you.'

'I need to see her,' Matthew stumped towards the door.

'You both do.' Jean said gently. 'Charlie get a car, I've left ours at the hospital. I'll drive, you're in no fit state.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

By the time Jean had driven them to the hospital, at the correct limit, Lucien had finished in the operating theatre. Unable to stop the bleeding from Rose's damaged womb he had removed it. Rose would never have children of her own, now.

'Blake?' Matthew stood in front of him, his friend looked drained, exhausted.

'She's not out of the woods, yet, Matthew.' He put his hand on the superintendant's shoulder.

'Jean told me what she did.'

Lucien's brows creased.

'Don't blame her, she had no choice.' Matthew said quietly, 'I'm glad she did, at least I know it's not Charlie I have to deal with. But for now, she is all that matters. I just don't understand why she didn't come and talk to me.'

Probably because it wasn't Charlie's.' Lucien sat Matthew down and looked at him. 'Be honest, old friend, what would you have thought of her if she had come to you and told you that she was...' how to put it delicately?

'Sleeping around,' Matthew finished, grimly. 'Probably been disgusted, and a little part of me is. I suppose she is paying for it now.'

'She lost a lot of blood,' Lucien sighed, 'I had to remove her uterus. She will never have children of her own.' He looked up at Charlie standing with Jean, he looked lost.

A nurse stood discreetly by, waiting to speak. Lucien turned to her.

'Miss Anderson has been made comfortable, doctor,' she stepped forward, 'do the family want to go in?'

'Matthew?' Blake stood up and extended his hand to help his friend up.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matthew stood at the foot of the bed and watched her chest rise and fall with each breath. She had a tube into her mouth, which, from past experience, he knew was delivering oxygen to her lungs. She looked so small and frail.

'We'll keep her like this for at least twenty four hours,' Lucien murmured. 'I'll review in the morning, see if I think she can stand to be woken up.'

'Blake,' Matthew seemed to sink into himself, 'I'll have to tell Vera. Now I know what happened.'

The doctor opened his mouth to speak and the shut it again, lost for words to comfort him.

'Don't be angry at Jean, for telling us.' Matthew moved round to sit by the bed, 'I'm glad she did. I'm not angry at Charlie, either. I believe him when he says he was sensible, nor will I blame him if he wants nothing more to do with her.'

'I just wish she'd come to me.' Lucien sighed, 'while I would not have performed such a procedure on her, I might have been able to help her, advise her, give her options.'

'Knowing Rose she was probably looking for a quick answer.' Matthew admitted his niece was impetuous, 'and what options?'

'Well, have the baby adopted,' Lucien ran his hand over his head, 'she could have gone away to have the baby and then...'

'But that would have taken time, and Rose...' he stroked the girl's arm, 'is too impatient, it would have 'inconvenienced' her.' He remained there, deep in thought.

'Lucien,' He raised his head, 'I want to find who did this, the procedure, that is. How she found him, or her, was it just a one off?'

'We'll have to wait until she wakes,' Lucien took a step forward, 'we need to know her contact...'

'What do the hospital know?'

'I told them it was a spontaneous miscarriage brought on by a fall.' Lucien openly admitted he had lied on her notes, 'that accounts for the damage and gives me a reason for performing such radical surgery on a young woman.'

'Thank you, for what you have done, for what you are doing.'

'I'll leave you here.' Lucien gripped his shoulder, 'I'll fetch your dinner, I know you won't want to leave her.'

Matthew looked up, even more grateful for his kindness, 'Thank you.'

'But,' Lucien looked down at him, brows furrowed, 'you are coming home to sleep. I'll have a nurse sit with her all night. She won't wake up until I want her to.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jean drove Charlie and Lucien home in silence. She felt sick at what Rose had done, especially after she had told her of her loss.

On the doorstep there was a pool of blood. Jean stepped over it and pushed the door open,

'Right,' she turned to the two men, 'Lucien your suit goes in the bin, I'll never get the stain out and I doubt you'll want to wear it anyway, Charlie, out of your uniform. I'm going to make tea and you two can have a whisky.' She straightened her back and went to the kitchen, dropping the keys loudly onto the hall table.

Leaving the men to their tea and whisky she took a bowl of water laden with disinfectant and soap, a scrubbing brush and a cloth and set to, to clean away the mess and allow herself the luxury of angry tears.

Wiping her eyes on her apron and readying herself to go back into the kitchen, she sighed. They would all need to eat, Matthew needed something taking over to him. There was a pound of sausages in the fridge, onions, an apple and some stock would make a reasonable meal, with some potatoes, that would do.

Although nobody really wanted much to eat they did try. Jean plated up a portion for Matthew and sent Lucien off, telling him to make haste so it didn't get cold.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxMatthew was still sitting beside Rose's bed. He looked drawn, tired, Lucien thought. This had hit him hard.

'Jean says you're to eat this before it goes cold.' He pulled the bed table over and put the plate down.

'Thanks,' Matthew pulled the table closer and when he took the lid off the plate was surprised to find himself more hungry than he thought he would be. He cleared the plate and washed it down with a glass of water, then a nip of whisky from Lucien's flask.

'Better?'

'Much.' The doctor pulled the table away and checked Rose's pulse and consciousness level. She was as he wanted her to be. 'I just don't know what to do now.'

'Let's get her well first.' Lucien said gently, 'really it is up to her now. One thing I am sure of is she trusted the person who she went to. She wouldn't have gone to a back street abortionist.'

'Bloody hope not.' Mathew grumbled, 'I wonder if she would have made use of Helen Murphy if she hadn't been arrested for murder?'

'It's a bit close to home, but, you never know.' Lucien shrugged his shoulders.

'Not with Rose, no.' He pushed himself out of the chair and winced, 'how's Davies?'

'Quiet.' Lucien sighed, 'angry, sad, disappointed. Hard to say really. Hurt, that she went with someone else. It doesn't do much for a chap's ego.'

'I am well aware that they were more than just good friends.' Matthew took his cane, 'but he's a good copper, a steady bloke.'

'Perhaps a bit too steady for Rose?' Lucien questioned.

'Perhaps.' He sighed, as a nurse knocked and entered.

'Doctor, superintendant,' she smiled, 'I'll be sitting with Miss Anderson tonight. Is there anything I need to know?'

'Just monitor her vital signs, hourly, please.' Lucien smiled, 'she is due more sedation at ten, then two and six. You can call me if you need to. I'll be back in the morning and we'll see if she is ready to wake up.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Charlie washed up for Jean. She felt so sad for him she just wanted to wrap her arms round him as if he was her own son.

'Come and sit down, Charlie.' She whispered and touched his arm.

Charlie's feet felt like lead as he dragged himself to the couch and slumped down.

'Charlie,' Jean's voice was very soft and gentle, 'I'm here, we are here for you. You don't have to be alone in this.'

'It wasn't mine,' he sniffed, 'she cheated on me, Jean. I would never have thought she would do that. If I wasn't enough, then she should have said. Then she goes and does a stupid thing like this. What was she thinking?' He stood up, 'I don't know what to feel, anymore. I'm angry, with both things she did, part of me wants to go and shake her, shout at her, god help me Jean, part of me wants to wring her neck!'

She let him carry on, about how it was a stupid thing, how they could have worked something out, how much he cared, how much he didn't care.

'I can't love someone like that, Jean,' he sobbed, 'not someone who uses people like she used me, and then...'

She couldn't argue with him, she felt some of his pain and quite a bit of his anger. Not for what Rose had done, but for the fact she had deceived him, not kept herself exclusively for him, and,...used him.

Jean stood up and went to him, 'I'm sorry, Charlie.' She touched his arm, 'I don't know what else to say.'

'There is nothing left to say, Jean' he looked down at her, 'thank you, for being here, just now. I appreciate it, really. I think I'll go to bed, now.'

'Alright, but...'

'I know, you'll be here.' He gave her a wan smile and bent down to kiss her cheek.

She watched him slowly plod up the stairs and her heart broke for him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucien and Matthew arrived soon after Charlie had dragged himself upstairs. Jean didn't speak, just poured them both a large whisky and went to wash the plate. She went back to the living room and sat next to Lucien on the couch.

'Charlie's gone to bed.' She stated the fact, to break the awkward silence.

'How is he?' Matthew asked, he was as concerned about his junior officer as he was his niece.

'Bad.' Jean sighed, 'angry, admits part of him would like to, in his words, wring her neck, hurt, that she went with someone else, that she did this. He says he can't love someone like her.'

'I don't expect him to, and in no way do I hold him responsible for any of this.' Matthew drained his glass, thinking he'd like to drain the bottle and another one if Blake had one somewhere, 'She has been ridiculously stupid. She's seen enough reports of this kind of thing, she's not a silly schoolgirl but it would seem she has no sense, or trust in us.' He pushed himself out of the chair, 'I'm going to try and get some sleep.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jean curled into Lucien on the couch and let more of the tears she had suppressed fall. Lucien just held her until her sobs lessened and she could talk.

'Sorry,' she sniffed and took the handkerchief he offered. 'I keep hoping this is all some dreadful nightmare. She told me it was a false alarm.'

'She must have just had a small bleed,' Lucien reasoned, 'even a threatened miscarriage, or lost one of two. Any number of reasons that would make her think she was no longer pregnant.' He adjusted his hold on her so he could see her face. 'Is that why your story came out?'

'Yes,' Jean lay against him, 'but I married Christopher, probably for the wrong reason, but it worked out pretty well, in the end. Of course I was very upset when I lost our little girl, and I'll never forget what might have been, but I could never have contemplated anything like this.'

'Why didn't she come to me?' He sighed, 'she told you, surely she could talk to me.'

'Probably embarrassed, and she knew you would never do such a procedure.' Jean thought for a while, 'I don't hate her, but I don't like what she has done.'

'Nor do I.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So, what will they do now? Will Rose give up her contact in Melbourne? Will Charlie ever speak to her again?


	2. Chapter 2

Breakfast was a quiet affair, there was a dark cloud still hanging over the house after the previous day's happenings.

Charlie had decided, overnight, that he could bury himself in his work, prove to the boss he was a good man and worthy of his belief that he could rise through the ranks. He had no plans to see Rose, he wasn't sure he would be able to contain his anger at what she had done.

Matthew said that as soon as Blake could rouse Rose he wanted to know who her contact was, they were going to investigate this, even if it wasn't his patch, but he still had some friends in Melbourne on the force, perhaps they could pool resources.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucien read through the notes from the night staff. Rose had been given her medication, her vital signs were steady so he felt he should try to bring her round. The last dose of sedation would be beginning to wear off, he called in a couple of nurses to be on hand as she rejected the breathing tube, and to help him keep her calm and administer some pain relief.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She felt as if she was in a dark tunnel, muffled sounds were around her and there was something choking her. She tried to cough, to clear her throat. She gagged on the tube and pushed with her tongue until it slid out and she took an enormous breath. She opened her eyes and looked straight into Lucien Blake's. His eyes were always so kind, they always twinkled when he talked to her, but now, they were just blue and sad.

'Hello, Rose.' He said quietly, shining a light into her eyes, which hurt. 'How are you feeling?'

'Bloody awful,' she managed to croak.

'Pain?'

'Uh huh.' She sucked in a breath. She supposed she deserved all the pain her body was experiencing.

He sent the nurses out, what he had to discuss with Rose was not for their ears.

'I'll give you something for that, but I need to know who did it.' Lucien kept his voice even and soft.

'I can't.' A single tear rolled out of her left eye towards her ear. He didn't wipe it away, usually he would.

'Rose,' He held the syringe with her pain relief, 'other girls could go through what you have gone through. I am well aware of the various methods to deal with these 'little problems', too many are fatal. I nearly lost you on the table, twice, you will never be able to have children, ever. Tell me your contact.'

He knew he was being hard, but Rose could be so bloody stubborn and he wasn't going to let her hide behind loyalty to a so-called friend.

'Elizabeth Morton.' She looked at him, waiting for more, 'her husband is Alexander Morton, he works at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne.'

Lucien nodded and gave her the pain relief which he realised he had been holding back, not something he wanted or planned to do.

He wrote out his fresh instructions, some pain relief could be administered in another six hours.

'I'll call in later.' He handed the notes to the nurses waiting outside and gave instructions that if she woke she could try some water, that she was to be made comfortable but left to sleep. 'Usual checks, four hourly, now.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The investigation into Elizabeth and Alexander Morton would have to be kept between Blake, Lawson and Davies. Everybody else, apart from Jean, was told that Rose had been attacked when she was in Melbourne at the weekend and was being treated for her injuries by Dr Blake. The investigation of the attack would be taken up by Superintendant Lawson with the Melbourne force.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matthew visited his niece at official visiting times. He tried not to be judgemental, he didn't have to, Rose was judging herself. She spent a lot of time tearfully apologising to him, for being so stupid, for not confiding in him. He could only hold her hand and explain what Lucien had done for her, to save her life. He also told her that the Morton's would be investigated, so would the hospital. Any women that had been through their hands would be found, interviewed, not stone would be left unturned.

She could see from his face how hurt he was, she didn't dare ask about Charlie and as the week wore on and he didn't visit knew she had damaged their relationship completely, totally, irrevocably. She had to understand she would, in all likelihood, never see him again, not even in passing.

It took Jean every bit of strength she had to go and see her. She had collected her night clothes and toiletries and taken them to the hospital out of visiting times. She chose to do this knowing she wouldn't be allowed to stay, she could just pass over the clothes, toiletries and a bottle of cordial to flavour the water, and maybe not even see the girl she had almost begun to think of as a surrogate daughter.

As she put the clothes in the locker, Rose spoke.

'I'm so sorry, Jean,' she whispered to the top of her head, 'I have disappointed you in ways I can never hope to understand.'

Jean stopped what she was doing but didn't look up, Mattie had said a similar thing to her, once, but Mattie had not disappointed her, Rose had.

'I think you do understand, Rose.' She stood up and looked down, 'you know how I still grieve for my lost daughter, and you did it deliberately. I'm sorry for you, for your decision, for the fact you didn't think I would listen. If you need anything let the nursing staff know.'

She inhaled and left the room, knowing she had probably surprised Rose with her coldness, but her warmth was for Charlie and the lost child.

Outside she leant against the wall and allowed herself to cry, in public.

'Mrs Beazley?' A nurse stopped, 'are you alright?'

'What? Sorry,' Jean took out a handkerchief, 'I was just...' she turned towards Rose's room.

'Care for a cuppa?' The nurse knew Jean was engaged to Dr Blake and probably knew Miss Anderson well.

'Thank you,' Jean sighed, 'I would.'

They drank their tea in silence in an empty office. Jean was grateful the nurse didn't ask questions, questions she couldn't answer.

'That was very kind of you,' Jean finally put her cup down.

'Well, she has been through a lot.' The nurse stood up, 'it must have been a bad fall to do that much damage.'

'Yes, Dr Blake said as much.' Jean would not be drawn. 'Thank you again, for the tea. I better be going, lots to do.'

Jean thought about the nurse's comment and thought she'd head to the station to speak to either Lucien or Matthew. They needed to know that somebody was suspicious.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Thank you, Jean,' Lucien smiled, 'I'll go and see her. May have to keep her dozy for a while, for everybody's sake.'

Matthew grunted, 'Until we find out what is going on. Rose has got to keep quiet about what she did, for now.'

'She's unlikely to tell exactly.' Lucien perched on the edge of the desk, 'she would be in even bigger trouble, seeking out an abortion is illegal to start with.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matthew put in a call to Melbourne, just to say he had suspicions that there was an illegal abortion ring operating in the city. He said he had information about a certain doctor in a particular hospital who was facilitating the procedure for young women who asked for it, and probably those who did not want another child or who had been assaulted and become pregnant. He knew he would have to give more detail, but for now they would have to make do with that. He suggested he and his police surgeon, who was involved in damage limitation for one of these girls, meet and discuss the situation.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucien went back to see Rose. He had to make sure she understood what would happen if she told any of the nurses why she was really there. She would be in trouble for obtaining an abortion, he could lose his licence to practice for not reporting what he knew.

She was propped up against the pillows, wearing her own pyjamas and staring into space.

'Rose,' he picked up her charts from the bottom of the bed. 'How are you feeling?'

'Sore,' she admitted, 'tired, stupid.'

At the last he raised an eyebrow. 'Hmm.'

'What happens now, doctor?' She didn't think she could use his first name, not now, she'd broken that too.

'Now, you get well.' He looked at her, 'After that it's up to you. But one thing you can't reveal, at least not yet, is what you did or that I tidied you up.'

'Why?'

'Because I have not reported it.' Lucien looked at her, normally so bright, 'I am legally bound to report an abortion, or if I know of someone carrying them out. At the moment it states on your notes that you had a fall that brought on a miscarriage, resulting in such damage that I had to remove your uterus in order to save your life.'

'I see.' She murmured. 'you said, 'not yet'. What do you mean by that?'

'Matthew and I are going to Melbourne to talk to Senior Police Officers about this. You won't have been the only one, nor the only one who has been damaged, but you will be one of the few who has survived. Your procedure was clumsy, probably less than sterile.' He leant on the end of the bed, 'You have been reckless, thoughtless. You should have come to me, talked through your options. You certainly didn't have to be alone in this.'

'I couldn't have a child.' She sniffed, 'what would I do with it? I didn't want it, I didn't want to be pregnant.'

'Then you should have used something.' Lucien grunted, 'whoever was the father, who also should have been told, should have shown some common sense. Then you wouldn't have been in this situation. I could have fitted you with a diaphragm, there are condoms, Charlie admitted he uses them, I thought you were an intelligent girl, perhaps I was wrong.'

He didn't like saying what he said, but it had to be, he had spent too many times sparing with her in the kitchen, at a crime scene or over dinner. How little he knew her, and how much she had hurt those around her, Matthew, Charlie, Jean.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucien decided to do a little bit of digging before he and Matthew headed to Melbourne. He wanted to know a little bit about this Morton chap, where did he study, how long had he been at the Royal Women's? He thought, perhaps he would call him, say he had a patient who might benefit from his expertise. But not state the problems the imaginary patient had, see what assumptions he would make. His story, if he asked, would be that she had trouble falling pregnant, and when she did was unable to carry to term. That should pique his interest.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mr Alexander Morton, consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician and the Royal Women's Hospital was more than happy to talk to Dr Lucien Blake of Ballarat. He was sorry to hear about the patient, it could be any number of things he suggested and there was also the chance that she didn't want to be pregnant and was doing something to cause the losses.

'You could have something,' Lucien mused, thinking fast, 'it always seems to happen after a visit to Melbourne. She says she has a sister there. You don't suppose... no, you wouldn't know of such practices.'

'I do know of them, sadly,' Mr Morton sighed, 'but it is a dangerous practice. Prevention is best, don't you think?'

'Indeed. I lost a patient recently, through such a procedure. Tragic really, a young girl, bled to death.' He sighed, 'We had a saying when I was training in Edinburgh that it was best to keep it covered.' He gave a, hopefully, wry sounding laugh.

'Similar here in Melbourne.' Morton guffawed. 'Sorry to hear about your patient.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucien wasn't sure what to make of Morton over the phone, but he could now check with the Medical School as to whether they had a record of a past student by the name of Alexander Morton.

It didn't take long for the university to find and confirm that he had indeed studied there, and was an excellent student. A flair for obstetrics, he lectured, occasionally, had an interesting collection of preserved foetuses he used. Lucien shuddered at this, wondering how he had managed to collect them. True miscarriages he hoped, but maybe illegally, too, though that would mean keeping the girls in the hospital until everything had left them. Still, he may pay them, or do it for free, just to get the foetus.

'When is his next lecture?' Lucien had an idea. 'I'd like to sit in, if that would be alright.'

Of course the university would be happy to have the doctor listen to Mr Morton and furnished him with the next two dates.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'I think Alice should join us,' he told Matthew, 'a pathologist's eye.'

'Doesn't that mean telling her why?' Matthew worried.

'In part, yes.' Lucien agreed, 'but she only needs to know we have heard of illegal abortions being carried out on a couple of my patients. She doesn't need to know who, though knowing Alice, she'll guess.'

Matthew hummed and frowned.

'Matthew, we need as much evidence as we can get,' Blake urged, 'to pin this on him. After the lecture I'll try and get a tour of the hospital, say I would like to improve our maternity services. Perhaps meet some of his team.'

'Where will that get us?' Matthew couldn't see what he was getting at.

'A feel,' Lucien looked at him, 'Alice and I will be able to tell if any of his 'exhibits' were natural losses, just by looking for any injuries, cuts, bruises, distortions.'

'I suppose so, but the hospital tour?'

'I can tell if there are any strange looks, worried patients or staff.' Lucien may not always appear to read people correctly, but actually he was choosing not to, he read people rather too well. 'I'll get a feeling.'

Matthew harrumphed, but he had been doing some digging of his own. He had a friend in Melbourne, who had been sacked after making some wild accusations about some high level officers in the force and even a couple of ministers. He'd been lucky to keep his pension and now made a living, quite a good one, as a private detective.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Physically Rose made good progress, psychologically Lucien wasn't sure. She was certainly much, much quieter than she ever had been, which was understandable. After two weeks in hospital Lucien looked for somewhere for her to convalesce. Any other illness she would have been invited to stay with them, but Lucien didn't want to put Jean through that. She still saw to the girl's laundry, arranged for her to have some fresh fruit by her bed and kept the cordial topped up, but she didn't visit for a chat or to cheer her up. She'd tried, but Rose closed off from her, and she really had little to say to her. So she would pass the time of day when she delivered clean nightwear, answered any questions she had about what was going on town and left it at that.

'Do you think she could stand the journey home, to her mother?' Matthew asked one evening. 'Only Vera said she would let her stay, until she knew what she wanted to do.'

'Well, getting out of Ballarat is a good idea.' Lucien agreed, looking at Jean to see what she thought. She nodded.

'I think,' she sighed, 'that if her mother will have her then let her go there. Being here, in Ballarat, is not going to help her. The only people she sees are those that know what she did.' She looked at Matthew, 'I'm sorry, Matthew, I'm finding it difficult to come to terms with what she did. When she told me she thought she was pregnant I told her about the baby I lost. She knew it hurt, so when she said it was a false alarm... Then to find out it wasn't and she didn't confide in any of us...'

'I understand Jean, really,' Matthew half smiled at her, 'but she didn't, she just thought she could sort it out herself. I suppose if it had been done better, then none of us would have known and life would have carried on as usual.'

'But it was a botched job,' Lucien sighed and refilled their glasses, 'she is the one who is paying for it, and will do for the rest of her life. You're right, Jean, she needs to get out of Ballarat. I hope she can find peace, and learn to live a life again.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose looked at her uncle and the people she had once called family one last time before she boarded the train away from Ballarat.

'Your mother will meet you at the station, Rose,' Matthew held her hand, 'what you decide to do, when you are fully recovered is up to you. There are a couple of things I would ask you to do; don't look back on your life here, find something you want to do and do it well. Try to like yourself, because I know at the moment you don't much. Talk to people, listen and learn. Keep in touch with me, please, I will miss you.'

'Thank you,' she whispered, letting tears run down her cheeks. 'I'm sorry for hurting you,' she looked up, 'all of you. You were such good friends and I let you down. I won't forget you, any of you.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucien, Alice and Matthew alighted from the train in Melbourne.

Rose had been gone a week from their lives but Matthew had heard from his sister that she was settling in and because nobody knew why she had gone home she could walk in the town without getting nasty looks. Vera had just said she had been badly hurt, attacked, and was recuperating.

Charlie had thrown himself into refereeing the football at the youth club and was working hard at proving himself to be the officer Matthew knew was inside him.

Jean had been told by Lucien she was not to blame for her feelings and banned her from going to confess she had been uncharitable.

'No you haven't, Jean.' Lucien held her one evening, 'you are you and I doubt Rose would want you to change for her. I don't think she realises how much you would have supported her if she had gone through with the pregnancy. If you want to write to her, Matthew will give you her address, but don't feel you have to.'

So now they could get to the bottom of things.

Drs Blake and Harvey were due at the university to listen to Morton lecture on obstetrics, while Matthew was going to see his contact, who had called to say he had rather a lot of interesting facts to pass on.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The lecture was well attended. Morton spoke intelligently about the causes of miscarriage, today's topic.

He showed slides of foetuses with abnormalities, babies that were nearly at term but died in the womb. The hall was quiet as he continued on about problems with the mother that meant they could not carry. He finished his lecture with an invitation to look at the rejected babies he had in the preserving jars.

Alice was most interested in this part of the lecture, though Lucien had remarked some might find it rather gruesome.

'Oh it is,' Alice had admitted, 'but how are we to learn. Besides, Lucien, we cut up dead bodies for a living.' She'd raised an eyebrow at her last remark which made him smile.

She picked up the jars in turn. Examining the contents with her analytical eye, musing and pursing her lips, at particular things she noticed. Developmental anomalies which were obviously the cause of the miss. But there were two or three she looked more closely at and drew Lucien's attention to.

'Here,' she pointed with her little finger, 'look, this one is twenty weeks.'

'Looks perfect to me,' Lucien whispered. 'what is it that you see?'

'This,' she adjusted her hold on the jar, 'now, I don't know about you but...'

Lucien wiped his finger down the glass as if clearing away a speck of dirt, but it didn't go away. He peered closer, the distinct mark over the chest like a cut. He hummed, looking out of the corner of his eye at Morton, discussing something with a student. He picked up another that had caught Alice's attention, the foetus also had damage from a scalpel or something sharp. Only something that an experienced pathologist would see.

He hummed and put the jars down.

'He's looking at us,' Alice murmured, looking over his shoulder.

'Let's go and get acquainted,' Lucien smiled, as if she had said something romantic, 'and no mention of why we are here.'

'I thought we were here to listen to a lecture and see if we can get a tour of the Royal Women's,' she smiled, innocently.

'Mr Morton,' Lucien held his hand out, 'Dr Lucien Blake, my colleague, Dr Harvey.' He indicated Alice at his side.

'Dr Blake, I had no idea you were here,' Morton shook their hands, 'a pleasure, Dr Harvey.'

'I asked the university if I could sit in on any lectures on obstetrics, after our conversation.' Lucien smiled, 'hope you don't mind. Dr Harvey is just as interested.' No need to say she was a pathologist, just in case he went on the alert.

'Well, I'm flattered.' Morton smiled, 'and how did I do?'

'Very interesting,' Alice nodded, 'especially the evidence. I suppose you have to get permission from the mothers to keep their...'

'Children, we refer to them as children,' he replied, 'and yes, we do. They don't always agree, but for the most part, because they don't want to see them, it is easier.'

'I don't suppose we could have a look at your hospital,' Lucien asked, before Alice got too enthusiastic about the pathology, 'I want to make some recommendations to our hospital, if we ever get the funds.' He gave a hollow laugh, the board were unlikely to listen to him.

'I'd be delighted to show you round.' Morton walked out with them, 'I am doing my rounds this afternoon, you are welcome to join me.'

Lucien looked at Alice, who nodded, and they accepted, arranging to meet at one thirty.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matthew in his turn, had had an interesting morning with his old friend. Sitting in a smart office, he really was doing well, they went through case files brought along by a trusted serving officer. Many open cases of unexplained deaths, all signed off by the pathologist as straightforward, but when George had questioned a retired doctor she had expressed dissatisfaction with the autopsies and had re done some of them.

'These ones are the most likely connected to your investigation,' George pushed six or seven files towards him, 'all young females, all with severe blood loss, all with damage to their reproductive organs.'

'What did your doctor say?' Matthew started to read the top file.

'Botched abortion.' George stated flatly, 'Mac was horrified at the butchery in some and disappointed in the careless nature of the procedure.'

'Where were the bodies found?' Matthew turned his attention to the next file.

'In the docks, floating in the river, places like that.'

Matthew shuddered, that could have been Rose. 'Would Mac? be prepared to talk to us?' Matthew asked, 'I don't mean testify, just talk to Dr Blake.'

'I expect so.' George mused, 'I'll ring her.'

George left Matthew to read the files while he tried to contact the retired doctor. There was more than autopsy reports in them, details of the girls life styles, families, known associates, which he found very interesting. A lot of the information had been denied, usually by the associates.

George returned with a smile on his face, 'She says she'll see you tomorrow, her flat. I'll take you round.'

'Thanks George,' Matthew nodded, 'now these names...' They went over the great men of Melbourne, who appeared rather often in the notes. Families, parents, had said that their daughter had been rubbing shoulders with commissioners, politicians and the like. Those named professed to be happily married and had no knowledge of the girls, finding ways to say they were elsewhere.

George reached down to a box file under his desk, 'Thought you might find this interesting...' He passed it over. In it Matthew found photographs of these men with the girls, George had labelled each and every one.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alice and Lucien found a small cafe to have a bite to eat before meeting Alex Morton at the hospital.

'So, what do you think?' Lucien asked while they waited for their order.

'I think he knows his subject,' Alice folded her arms, 'he does not strike me as a man who would do the procedures. I really don't think he was personally responsible for the damage done to Rose.'

He gasped.

'I know who you are doing this for, I know why you and Matthew are so hell bent on pursuing it.' She reached over, 'Rose has been ill, as a pathologist I get the organs, don't I? I'm the one that examines and dissects. I saw the damage, after you had removed the uterus.'

'I thought you might work it out, but...' Lucien leant forward, 'we couldn't say anything.'

'I know,' She smiled sympathetically. 'And I shan't, either.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Neither Alice nor Lucien could find anything to worry them at the hospital. Alexander was interesting to watch. He spoke gently to the patients, his explanations of their care was clear and easy for them to understand. He showed them the operating suite, the wards, how they were careful to keep any women who had lost a child away from those who had successfully given birth. So, if Morton was arranging the abortions he certainly wasn't doing them at the hospital. There was a large staff of consultants, junior doctors and nurses all of whom were apparently as enthusiastic as Morton.

They met some of the more senior doctors, who were obviously highly trained, spoke with the nursing staff and were even invited to watch a caesarean through the window of the theatre door.

'Twins,' Morton told them, 'we thought a caesar would be safer as she has a history of losing. She is thirty six weeks, but needs to deliver now, if the babies are to survive.'

Alice had never performed this particular procedure herself but Lucien had, so when he and Alexander turned away to discuss the merits of early intervention in such cases, she kept watching. The first child was lifted out and passed to a midwife who slapped it's backside and nodded when it cried. Though Alice thought she had been a bit heavy handed and she would have cried if she'd been slapped so firmly. Perhaps it was because the mother was under anaesthetic which would have transferred to the babies. She turned her attention to the second child and watched as it too was lifted out. The surgeon looked around, nobody was watching him, he didn't know Alice was, and what she saw made her gasp,

'No!'

'Alice...' Lucien turned to see his colleague opening the door and entering the theatre, grab a towel and take the infant. She held it as she had seen the midwife and slapped it, a little more gently, and was relieved to hear it cry.

'Alice, what are you doing?' Lucien stood between her and the surgeon, while the assisting doctor began to finish off the operation.

'Lucien,' she turned to him, handing the baby to the midwife, 'he covered it's face with his hand.'

'What?' He turned to the surgeon.

'Heinrich?' Morton looked shocked, 'did you?'

'I was clearing the airway,' the surgeon hissed, in a thick German accent, 'too much mucus.'

'That's not how you clear an airway,' Alice snapped, 'you deliberately held your hand over the face and pinched the nose.'

The midwife confirmed that both babies seemed fine, and were breathing well.

'My office, Heinrich.' Morton snapped, 'now!' He looked up at the other surgeon, 'you can finish off, can't you?'

'Yes, sir,' he nodded.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alice and Lucien waited outside the office but the voices were loud enough for them to get the gist of the conversation.

'What the hell were you thinking?' Morton was saying, 'not in the hospital, you know that. And she wanted those babies, desperately.'

'She said to me, before the procedure started, before the anaesthetic, she didn't know how she would cope.' Heinrich hissed, 'so I make it easier.'

'That's not what we do.' Morton grunted, 'only out of the hospital, we agreed.'

'Who are the people with you?'

'Drs Blake and Harvey, from Ballarat.' Morton told him how he had first spoken to Blake over the phone about abortions, via a conversation on how to prevent miscarriage. 'I have a feeling that's why he's here. The hospital has a reputation to keep up. The other work is request only.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Wonder if Heinrich is the one doing the abortions, and Morton is the one sending the women to him.'

'That would make sense,' Alice nodded, 'he is very approachable, has a good bedside manner I could see him being very sympathetic to a tearful young girl who had got herself pregnant.'

'Or discreet to a high flier who was looking to hide his philanderings.' Lucien whispered. 'Perhaps I should ask Matthew to ring Rose. Maybe she can tell us if the doctor was German.'

'I think that's a good idea.' Alice agreed, 'she will be able to describe him too, given her writing experience.'

'I hope it doesn't upset her,' Lucien mused, 'but first we need to say goodbye to Morton, not give him reason to distrust us.'

They sat and waited until Heinrich finally came out of the office and glared at them. Morton stood in the doorway, looking worried.

'I'm sorry you witnessed that,' he looked at the two visitors, 'of course he will have to go, and I suppose I will have to report him for his other practices.'

'You will,' Lucien stood up, 'but for now we shall leave you to it. Thank you for the tour, it was most interesting.'

Morton shook their hands and watched them leave wondering if their visit was totally innocent. Sacking Heinrich would not take away the fact that he was the one sending women and girls to him, paid by ministers involved and high ranking police officers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They met up with Matthew and George and spent the evening discussing what they had seen and heard, and how Alice had prevented infanticide.

'But how?' Matthew gasped, 'if there were other medics in there.'

'The midwife was dealing with the first baby, the anaesthetist was checking the patient, nobody was watching the surgeon.' Alice detailed.

'Except you.' Matthew grinned.

She coloured, 'Well, it's not often I see a procedure on a live patient.' She sniffed.

'You know, this could make the case a lot easier,' he carried on, 'a witness, and an extremely credible one at that. Coupled with the files George has and Mac's statement...'

'Mac?' Lucien looked confused.

'Dr Macmillan, retired doctor.' George supplied, 'she used to do the autopsies and well as work at the Royal Women's, still does a bit now and again. Brilliant doctor, high up friends too.'

'Really?'

'Hm... Retired Commander of Police.' George smiled, 'incorruptible. Very highly thought of.'

'So do we go through him, then?' Lucien asked.

'Get me irrefutable evidence to go with what I've got and I'll give it all to him.' George said.

Matthew thought that now was the time to hand him something he had kept a closely guarded secret, not even Lucien knew.

'Shortly before my contact,' he meant Rose, but had promised to try to keep her name out of it, 'left for pastures new, she gave me this. It is an account of her dealings with Morton and his abortionist.'

Lucien gasped but with a look from Matthew closed his mouth without saying anything. Alice touched Matthew's arm and smiled, gently.

'George opened the envelope and read, in silence. 'Phew!' He whistled, 'she was lucky. She writes well, eloquently, and is not too emotional, which can't have been easy. This is damning evidence, and her description of the doctor that did this, phenomenal.' There was a smaller envelope addressed to whoever was in charge of the case. George opened it,'

'To whom it may concern,

I, Rose Anderson, am the person concerned in the attached document. I know if you reveal my name I will be charged with procuring an illegal abortion. What I did was a desperate and fundamentally stupid act, for which I will pay for the rest of my life.'

Matthew bit his lip, he had no idea she was prepared to be named in the case, in spite of the consequences.

'I won't use this, unless I have to.' George held her declaration up, 'I will pass it to the Commander just for his information, but I doubt he will use it either.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The only thing left to do was to see and speak to Mac the next morning.

She opened the door of her flat and grinned at George, holding an offering of her favourite single malt,

'A peace offering, Mac.' He grinned.

'A bit early, even for me.' She laughed, a small woman with fading red hair, dressed in trousers, shirt and waistcoat, Lucien took an instant like to her.

George introduced his friends and let them talk and show the new evidence. She was incredulous at Alice's statement about seeing Heinrich attempt to murder a new born, still attached to its mother by the cord.

'Jeez!' she whistled, 'how low could he go?'

'Precisely,' Alice nodded.

'Well, folks,' Mac breathed in, 'I'm going to show this to my old friend, and we'll take it from there. I'll suggest that Rose's name is kept out of it, as she says, it was fundamentally stupid, but desperate women will do stupid things.' She turned to George, 'this should help us end this. Power corrupts, they say, and in this case it certainly has. I'll see to Morton. He's a good doctor, but if he is any way involved in this then he will have to go. The trouble is, these doctors, who are struck off for unacceptable practices go underground and cause even more deaths. It's stopping this we will have to go on to do, but that will be a long job and I fear I shall be long gone before that happens.'

Lucien stood up, in his mind something was at last going to be done so he would no longer have 'Roses' on his operating table, 'Thank you doctor.' He held out his hand, 'I have no doubt that you and your friend will have quite an impact on this.'

Mac stood up and took his hand, 'We both know that this will not be the end of it, but it will go some way to bringing it out into the open and showing that nobody is above the law.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The journey home was quiet as all three thought about what they had seen. Alice in particular had, at first, dealt with seeing the surgeon try to smother the infant, but it did bother her that someone could be so callous. She voiced her concerns to her friends.

'We are the kind of people who spend our lives trying to fix things, but there are some that see other ways out of a situation not too their liking.' Lucien leant forward in his seat. 'A chance remark, not meant to mean anything other than she may need some help, lead to Heinrich thinking she didn't want both children. He didn't listen, he heard her words, but didn't understand what she was saying. I'm sure she will love her babies as best she can, after trying so hard to have them.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Over the following weeks George kept Matthew updated, things were progressing well, questions were eventually asked in the Victorian Parliament, and ministers were brought down with the evidence. Mac contacted Lucien to say the medical evidence had been overwhelming and there were many shocked people in the city. Women came forward to say what had happened to them and how it had been arranged. Morton, she said, was complicit, he had passed the girls on to Heinrich to be 'helped with their little problem' but was not aware how many women had been killed or rendered infertile through his careless procedure. They had also found out that Elizabeth, Rose's friend, was also using Heinrich to help her friends and had said nothing about those friends not appearing at various social gatherings ever again, or complaining that after marrying they couldn't conceive.

George also pointed out that there was corruption in the force and without the retired commander's tenacity, and that of his wife, they would be at a standstill. But they weren't, and four months after Rose had collapsed in Jean's arms, Heinrich and Morton were jailed for twenty years, Elizabeth for ten years and the corrupt police officers and ministers were stripped of their positions .

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jean and Lucien sat together on the couch, the paper thrown on the coffee table.

'All over.' Jean sighed and sipped her sherry.

'For now,' Lucien sighed and pulled her close, 'I'm sure there will be more instances of corruption, but at least there is some justice for the Roses of this world.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxMatthew turned over the small parcel in his hand.

'Oh for heavens, sake,' Alice nagged, 'will you just open it.'

'I just wondered who, apart from Lucien and Jean know to send my post to your house.' He cut the paper and unwrapped a book.

'Notes from a Small Town, by Rose Anderson.' He raised his eyebrows. There was a note inside the cover.

'Well, Matthew, ' she had written, 'I decided that all I can do is write so I've gone into fiction which, as we know, should have some fact behind it. Rose.'

He read out the dedication,

'Dedicated to Matthew, Lucien, Jean, Alice and Charlie, without whom such things would not be possible.'

'Blimey.' He whistled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThere are no prizes for spotting the cross over characters. This was a difficult chapter to write and I'm not as happy as I could have been with it, but if I don't publish it now I'll forget the epilogue, which is going round in my head. Thoughts?


	3. Chapter 3

He had never been to Ballarat, but as he stepped down from the train he felt he knew it, very well. He turned and waited for his companion to join him on the platform. She was of average height, dressed in a black dress and coat, her fashionably styled red hair showing beneath the brim of a black hat. He was similarly attired in a black suit, white shirt and tie, and the casual observer who assumed they were attending a funeral would have been correct in that assumption.

Rose looked round, nervously, it was the first time she had been back in twenty five years. She had done as her uncle had asked, kept in touch, usually including the latest in her light series of books set in a small town. He in his turn had written his own private review and updated her on the comings and goings in Ballarat, much of which she alluded to in the stories.

'Okay?' He asked.

'Yes, I think so.' She smiled and slipped her hand through the crook of his arm.

'Taxi?'

'Yes, Alice said to go to the cemetery as there isn't going to be a church service.' She led him across the station to the taxi rank, and they took the first cab on the rank. When she asked to be taken to the funeral the taxi driver turned with a sad look in his eyes,

'He'll be missed.'

'I'm sure he will.' She agreed and sat back, turning to the man who accompanied her, 'you would have liked him, you have a similar sense of humour.'

'So you keep telling me,' he patted her hand, his old fashioned courtesies she found endearing, born of him being almost ten years older than she.

They found the place, it wasn't difficult. Although it was a private funeral there were quite a lot of people there, but the close friends and his small family were standing closest to the grave. Rose wasn't quite sure how near she should go, she had been forgiven for what she had done, why she had left Ballarat, but she was still hesitant.

'Come on love,' he looked and smiled, sympathetically, he knew her story, she had been very honest when they had become close. He had said he wasn't looking to have hoards of children and it was her he wanted to marry. So Rose had married her publisher, Alan Saunders, and found she was happy with her lot.

She drew him with her to stand by Alice to wait for the casket. Alice looked up and nodded, a small smile creeping over her face.

'Thank you,' she whispered.

Rose reached out and squeezed her hand but didn't look round at the other mourners.

'Thank you,' she replied, just as quietly, 'for looking after him.'

Jean had looked up when the last two had arrived at the graveside and gasped. Alice had told her she had asked Rose to attend but was unsure as to whether she would, and there she was. Over the years Jean had reached out to Rose, at first with a Christmas card, then a letter with a little incident she might find amusing, then a birthday card, then they corresponded on a fairly regular basis. Now she could actually speak to her, face to face, perhaps say she was sorry for being so hard. She squeezed Lucien's hand and nodded in the author's direction.

'Oh,' he inhaled, 'she came.'

'Of course.'

The service was short and sweet, as Matthew had asked it should be, and it suited Alice to remember him with simplicity. There were no flowers, any money spent of flowers was to be donated to the new convalescent home. As the casket was lowered, Alice set one single red rose on the lid, 'His favourite, from our garden,' she told her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They headed back to the club, where a small back room had been set aside to toast Matthew Lawson, and where his friends and colleagues could reminisce about his life.

Alice introduced Paul, their adopted son. 'It's thanks to him we actually got married.' She laughed.

'Mum.' Paul teased.

Rose thought he was a good mix of the two, tall, well built, dark haired and he obviously adored his mother.

'Well, it is,' Alice insisted, 'they wouldn't let me adopt you if I was just living with your father.'

Alice was called away to talk to a police officer who had just arrived to pay his respects.

Rose asked Alan if he could point out any people he could recognise from her books,

'Well, that's obviously the doctor and his wife,' he pointed to Lucien and Jean, 'but the others, no. Perhaps they aren't here.'

'A lot aren't, a lot have grown up, been promoted, sadly passed.' She set her stories way back when she lived there so Ned, Bill, Cec and numerous others were no longer around.

'Rose,' she turned to a familiar voice, 'hello, dear. We are going back to our house later, with Alice and Paul, please come and join us.' It was Jean, holding out the final olive branch.

'Jean, that's very kind of you but...' Rose smiled.

'I know Alice will want you there, and so do I. The past is the past, Rose.' Jean touched her arm. 'Please.'

'In that case, we'd love to,' she looked up at Alan, 'wouldn't we?'

'I think it's a lovely invitation, Rose.' He smiled.

Rose turned back to Jean, 'This is Alan, my husband,' she indicated the man next to her.

'Lovely to meet you, Alan,' Jean smiled, 'I wish is it was under more happy circumstances.'

'Mrs Blake,' he took her hand, gently, 'so do I. Rose has told me so much about you, aside from what she writes.'

'Please, call me Jean.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose had refused offers of a lift up to the Blake's she wanted to walk with Alan, show him some of the places he only knew through her books. As she turned into the drive, she took a deep breath. The last time she had been here she hadn't so much walked as staggered, near death. Well, here goes, she thought, it can't be worse than then.

The front looked the same as she remembered it, the porch had the familiar hanging baskets, the paint was fresh and bright, the polished knocker glinted in the low winter sun. Gone was the Holden Lucien used to drive, in its place was a bright red mini and a sedate Ford. Rose decided the mini was Jean's and the Ford, the doctor's car. There again, Amelia, Jean's granddaughter, was a doctor and was taking over the practice, though Lucien still worked part time, the mini might be hers.

'You know,' said Alan, with a smile, 'if you'd asked me to find you based on your descriptions in the books, this is where I would have found you.'

'Really?' She looked surprised, 'is it that obvious?'

'Now it is,' he laughed, 'now I see through your eyes.'

She looked at him,

'...and I like what I see.'

'They're good people, Alan,' she sighed, 'I was the one who messed up.'

'But if you hadn't,' he stopped and looked at her, 'I would never have met you, so, really, my dear Rose, I'm rather glad you did.' He bent to her and kissed her lightly on the lips.

As she knocked she was taken back twenty five years, to the bright sound of,

'I'll get it,'

and her face broke into a huge smile.

Apart from Jean, Alice was one of the first to greet her, then Lucien. He held her in a fierce hug, as if he never wanted to let her go.

'God, it's good to see you,' he finally loosened his hold, 'you look well, healthy.'

'Dr Blake...'

'It used to be Lucien,' he tipped his head to the side.

'Lucien,' she held back the tears, 'I have missed you, I have missed this...' she looked round. 'You haven't changed a bit.'

'Rubbish, I'm an old man.'

'You, Lucien Radcliffe Blake, will never be old.' She laughed, a signal for the celebration of Matthew Lawson's life to begin. There was laughter at the reminisces of his life, tales from Lucien of their times as boys, but there was one guest who kept quiet, slightly apart.

'I'm sorry,' Rose approached him, 'I hurt you, I was reckless with your feelings, too self important. There is only one thing I can say, sorry, and thank you for being who you are. I have followed your career and am so happy that you found someone who could give you what I never could have.'

Charlie nodded, 'Perhaps it was meant to be, that we parted. I'm glad you are here, Matthew was a special person.'

'He was, wasn't he?' Rose grinned. 'Now, tell me about your family, I know you are now a Superintendant, well done you, but...'

'Oh, no,' he smiled, 'you're not putting me in one of your novels.'

'You're already there, you dolt!' She threw back her head and laughed, 'who else would I model the caring, eager but slightly desperate policeman on?'

He shook his head and widened his smile, 'well...' they sat on the couch, Rose was relieved to see that Jean had updated the furnishings, and Charlie told her about his wife, who was unable to attend, their children, four, two of each, his home in Melbourne and his secret habit of reading each of her novels.

When all the guests had gone but Alice and Paul, Rose and Alan, Lucien poured the evening drinks,

'Nothing has changed, Lucien.' Rose teased.

'And why should it, so...' Lucien turned to Alice, '..it's Thursday evening, and we promised.'

'Of course,' she took out a copy of Rose's latest book, 'now, where were we?'

Rose watched as Jean and Lucien snuggled together on the couch, Paul sat on the floor, Amelia next to him, which left the chairs for her and Alan. Alice looked at her then nodded towards a chair. They sat, each taking a chair and Alice opened the book and started to read.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose lay next to her husband in the hotel bedroom,

'I had no idea,' she smiled, 'that they did that.'

'I think it was lovely,' Alan pulled her close, 'to read your books every week, out loud.'

'I have to admit I was a bit embarrassed.' She whispered.

'They love you ,Rose,' he murmured, 'I think you will be welcome anytime you want to come to see them, Jean said as much.'

'Maybe I will.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This had got to be the shortest epilogue/chapter I have written. But I wanted 'closure' for Rose and for her to be finally accepted by Jean.

Thank you for reading my story.


End file.
